A Picture of Heaven
by Maranni123
Summary: For a brief moment, everything is perfect. And even though that perfection may not last, they will always have each other. A sort-of-Valentine's Day story, but not really. Warning: Major fluff, family tenderness, and K/S. Enjoy.


A Picture of Heaven

By: Maranni123

A/N: Yes, I'm still alive and yes, I deserve every flame I will be receiving about my lack of updating. First let me tell you all that I'm sorry about my lack of activity over the past two months. Real Life has taken hold of me and I've just managed to escape its wrath. I just recently had my wisdom teeth removed, which was all sorts of fun, and I'm about to start college. And unfortunately, I've yet to make a living off of writing fan fictions. Although that would be amazing if I could.

But please rest assure that I have every intention of finishing all my projects and then some. It just might take some time. "Consuming Fire" will be finished, "PBTL" with also be finished in all due time, along with all my other projects. Until then, my lovely readers and watchers, please accept this short Valentines fic as an apology for my lack of updating. Not really a Valentines fic, more like a fluffy story that happens to be on Valentines. :D Now, Spock might be a bit OOC in this, but I would like to think that he's just showing off his human side. :D I hope you all enjoy!

**(xXxXxXx)**

"They live in the ocean, the Atlantic ocean, on Earth."

"Really? The Atlantic? They live all the way down there?"

"Yes Dad. They live all the way down at the bottom. And that's why they have webbed feet and gills and tails. So that they can swim very fast."

Spock couldn't stop the small smile that made its way to his lips as the soft voices of his bond mate and son drifted towards him from the room next to his and Jim's. Stepping into his and Jim's quarters with the Vulcan version of a content sigh, Spock chose to change out of his blue command shirt and into more comfortable clothing before he went to join his husband and son.

Pulling on light black sweater, Spock listened further to the rather odd conversation between Jim and their son as he changed.

"So why do the bed guys want to get rid of the animals?"

"Well, the animals live on the bottom of the ocean, but their home has a lot of things that the bad guys want. They have a lot of gold and silver that is naturally in their home. Their envre... enviurn..."

"Environment?"

"Yeah. And so the bad guys have to get rid of the animals so that they can get all of the stuff for themselves."

"Well that doesn't sound very nice."

Spock chuckled silently at the tone of Jim's voice and wondered what Jim and his son were talking about. Sea animals? Bad guys? Gold and silver? It was certainly an odd choice of conversation for their son's bedtime.

After pushing his clothes into the laundry chute, Spock made his way through the joint bathroom that he and Jim had been sharing for the past five years and into what was once his own personal quarters.

Although originally meant for the First Officer of the Enterprise, the room had been transformed into a simple child's bedroom with the help of the crew. The ceiling had been decorated with glow-in-the-dark star stickers, the bed had been stripped of its plain black sheets and had been replaced with sheets that sported starships. The floor was semi-clean, although there were a few toys scattered onto the floor that seemed to forever be there, despite the many times the room had been cleaned.

His dark eyes wandering over to the bed, Spock allowed his small smile to grow fondly as he saw his bond mate and son, snuggled happily underneath the covers of the bed, similar smiles on their faces as well.

With his head resting on Jim's chest, Gabriel Solkar Greyson Kirk, or simply Gabriel, yawned softly as he continued to explain to his dad the bad guys Spock had heard him mention before.

"The bad guys are really evil," he agreed softly, his eyes fluttering as Jim ran a hand over his black cap of hair, identical to his father's, his faintly pointed ears poking up slightly before disappearing underneath his hair. He needed a haircut. "They want to get rid of the animals and then they want to take over the Earth by polluting the air so badly, that everyone is forced to leave. And they have to leave, or else the air will kill them because it's so dirty."

From his place on the bed, Jim frowned softly. "It sounds like someone should stop these bad guys," he said just as softly.

It was then that Spock decided to make himself known. "I must agree with you Jim," he said suddenly, catching Jim's eye with a small smile. "I find that the notion of any life threatened by evil means is quite unsettling."

Jim simply smiled and shook his head as Gabriel lifted his head up from his dad's chest and gave his father a soft smile. "_Sa-mekh_," he mumbled sleepily, reaching out his hand to Spock, who took it gently in his own as he joined his son and bond mate on the bed.

Spock gazed down at his son fondly, his brown eyes shining. "_Sa-fu_," Spock said fondly. "What is this I hear about marine life and evil men? Surely Earth is in no real danger?"

Gabriel giggled and shook his head, leaning over to give Spock a small hug. "No _sa-mekh_," he laughed quietly. "There are no real bad guys. Dad wanted a bed time story so I'm telling him one that I made up."

Spock raised an eyebrow in mild surprise, but really, did he expect anything less? At only five, Gabriel was extremely smart for his age, no doubt thanks to both of his parents. And if Gabriel's intelligence was impressive, then his imagination was easily its equal. Gabriel was always fabricating stories and adventures to amuse himself and the main crew. With his vivid story-telling abilities, Gabriel was already quite popular among the crew, especially young Chekov. It was no surprise then, that Gabriel would turn the normal bedtime story ritual around and tell his parents stories instead of the other way around.

"And it is a very interesting story indeed, _sa-fu_," Spock said tenderly, shifting on the bed to get closer to his son. "If it is satisfactory with you, might I stay for the remainder of the tale?"

Gabriel nodded quickly, clearly pleased with the fact that his father wanted to hear the rest of his story. Normally, Spock wasn't the biggest fan of made up stories. But it seemed as if this time, he would make an exception.

As Gabriel restarted his tale of secret marine life underneath the Atlantic and evil corporations plotting to destroy the Earth, Jim gazed at his husband and son with a loving shine in his eyes.

Jim could remember when he and Spock had first announced their plans to have a child to the crew and to Starfleet. Thankfully, they'd had many supporters, mainly McCoy, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, and Scotty. Pike was also in favor of their decision, as was Sarek and Selek, which Spock was secretly grateful. But with their supporters, there came the people against them.

Starfleet had been worried about a child living aboard a starship, some Vulcans were concerned with allowing a child of Vulcan blood, even if it was merely a quarter, be raised by a human father when there were so little Vulcans left. But the biggest hurtle, surprisingly, was the lack of faith some had in Spock's ability to raise a child.

It was no secret that despite his human blood, Spock was determined to live as a Vulcan. He was strict with himself, in his shields, and in his emotional control. He lived as a full Vulcan, he acted like a full Vulcan, so naturally, people assumed that he would raise a child as a full Vulcan would raise a child. And seeing that if Jim and Spock did have a child, it would be more human than Vulcan, some were worried that the child would be emotionally deficient.

Of course, this had upset Jim greatly when he heard that particular concern. And although he had not shown it, he could tell that it had upset Spock as well.

Jim chuckled softly as Gabriel raised his hands in the air to give Spock an example of just how big the explosion that destroyed the bad guy's lair really was. Leaning against the pillow, watching Spock interact with their son, Jim wondered what those people were thinking now.

They had said that Spock wouldn't be able to give their child the emotional support that he or she would need. And Jim had known that they were wrong then and that faith in his bond mate hadn't diminished once Gabriel had come into their lives.

Spock was the best father. Some people didn't understand that, while Vulcans seemed cold to strangers, to their closest loved ones, they were warm and allowed themselves to feel. To the ones that they trusted the most, to the ones they loved the most, they showed their emotions. And that's how Spock was to Gabriel. Spock showed no hesitation in showing his son how much he loved him. Spock gave Gabriel hugs, held his hand, spoke fondly to him. He was never cold, never raised his voice, and never gave out discipline that was too harsh. He did everything right. He did everything that a good father should do. And Jim couldn't possibly love him more because of that. But he did.

"And then the animals, _sa-mekh_, they were saved. Their home was saved and the bad guys, their orgin... oragan..."

"Organization, _sa-fu_?" Spock asked helpfully.

Gabriel nodded sleepily, his eyes starting to flutter shut from weariness. "Yes _sa-mekh_," he mumbled, leaning forward to lean against Spock's shoulder. "Organization. Their whole organization was destroyed and the Earth was saved."

Spock fondly nudged his head against son's and glanced over to Jim, his husband giving him a small nod, before slowly pushing his son back down onto the bed.

"That was an excellent story _sa-fu_," Spock whispered, giving Gabriel a small smile as Jim leaned forward to kiss his son on the forehead. "But now, it is time for sleep."

Gabriel yawned, his lips turning downward in a small pout as Spock drew the covers over him and tucked him securely in bed. "But I'm not tired _sa-mekh_," he protested softly, shutting his eyes before forcing them open again.

Jim chuckled softly at that, gently grabbing Amanda off of Gabriel's bookshelf and handing her to Gabriel, who cuddled the fluffy white cat that Chekov had made him to his chest with a sigh.

"Baby boy," Jim cooed to his son, a smile on his face. "We all need our sleep and you're no different." His smile grew and he pressed another kiss to his son's forehead. "But don't worry. _Sa-mekh _and I will be here in the morning when you wake up."

With another yawn overtaking him, Gabriel mumbled, "Okay Daddy." It was a rare term of endearment that Gabriel tended to only use if he was sleepy or in pain.

Holding onto Amanda tightly, Gabriel yawned again and curled further into his blankets, only managing to hold out his hand, two fingers extended. Feeling warmth blossom in his side, Spock met his son's fingers with his own with a smile.

"Good night, _sa-fu_," Spock said softly, his free hand making its way over to Jim's waist and pulling the man close. "I love you."

"I love you too _sa-mekh_," Gabriel whispered, his eyes shutting as he moved to offer Jim those same two fingers. "Love you Daddy."

Jim reached down and gently ran his fingers through Gabriel's hair before meeting his son's extended hand with his own, whispering, "I love you too baby. Good night."

And with those parting words of love, Gabriel slowly drifted off to sleep as Jim and Spock made their way back to their own room, both wearing the same exact smiles on their faces. Reaching their room, Jim slowly untangled himself from Spock's grip to go change into his usual sleepwear. Spock watched him for a moment, silent.

Jim, noticing his bond mate's gaze, looked over and gave Spock a warm smile. "What?" he asked, stripping off his golden command shirt. Between them, their marriage bond hummed with contentment and joy.

Spock shook his head, still silent. His entire body was filled with warmth, threatening to overflow and pour out from within him. He had such love for the man in front of him, for that small being in the next room. Spock wondered vaguely if his body was even capable of containing so much emotion.

"I swear," Jim began, pulling off his black pants and trading them for a pair of sweat pants. "Gabriel should write books when he gets older. That kid has the biggest imagination I've ever seen."

Spock nodded, still unable to speak, worried that if he did, that love would simply pour from him uncontrollably. How is it that he is still breathing? Happiness, love, affection, they were surrounding him, filling him. The man before him stole his very breath away. How was he still alive?

It was too much. There was simply too much happiness, too much love, too much affection in Spock's body. He couldn't contain it. It had to get out, had to be known. The bond in his head started to thrum harder with the emotions that were filling Spock to his core.

Not hearing a response from his husband, Jim looked back over to Spock with a concerned frown. "Spock?" he asked, dropping his own laundry into the chute. "Are you okay?"

And still, Spock was quiet. The half-Vulcan stared at Jim with an almost helpless expression, causing Jim's concern to heighten. "Spock," Jim said, walking over to his husband and cupping his face in his hands, that frown still marring his face. 'And yet, he is still beautiful,' Spock thought. "Spock, what's..."

Breaking out of his moment of silence quite suddenly, Spock lurched forward, taking Jim by surprise, and captured his bond mate's mouth in a soul-stealing kiss. Gasping in shock, Jim moaned suddenly as Spock's tongue snaked its way into his mouth and he was lost. Moving his hands up to tangle them into that silk black hair, Jim moaned again, louder this time, as he felt Spock's arms around his waist, pulling him closer.

The bond opened completely and Jim saw what Spock was feeling, saw what he was thinking. And Jim smiled into the kiss because he was feeling the exact same way. Sending back his equally powerful emotions, Jim felt Spock shiver and the two quickly made their way over to the bed, Spock pushing Jim onto the bed.

Leaning over his captain, his husband, his mate for life, Spock shivered again and pressed a sweet kiss to Jim's temple. "I love thee," he said breathlessly. "I love thee, Jim. With everything that I have, with everything that I am, I love thee. Father of my child, my T'hy'la."

Jim took in a breath and smiled, letting Spock's words wash over him as the half-Vulcan started to scatter kisses over his jaw and neck. Curling his body around him, holding him close, Jim whispered, "And I love you Spock. More than I thought was even possible. I don't know how things can be this perfect and I'm almost afraid of how perfect this is, how perfect you are, how perfect Gabriel is. But I wouldn't give it up for the world."

And it was perfect. For a moment in time, for Jim and for Spock, everything was in order. With their ship cruising safely in friendly territory, with their child safe and asleep in bed without a care in the world, with their crew taken care of and performing at their best, everything was perfect.

They both knew, as they met again in another searing kiss, that the perfection would eventually leave. Something was bound to go wrong, because perfection was rare and never lasted. But as they wrapped their bodies and minds together, as they came together as only lovers could, they didn't care. At that moment in time, that small snapshot of life, they had everything. They had each other, they had their family, they had their careers. They had love.

And even if the perfection did faded away to leave chaos and destruction, even if their lives did take a sudden turn for the worst, they would make it. They would always have each other, Jim and Spock together, with Gabriel tucked safely between them, and the memory of that moment in time when life was simply... perfect.

**(xXxXxXx)**

A/N: Wow. I did not like how that ended, but you tell me if you liked it. Also, tell me if Spock seemed OOC to you. And although I honestly have no idea how Gabriel came to be, if you have any ideas, please share them with me. :D I like reviews! That's really all that I'm asking for. Anyway, I hope you all liked it and I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day. Let me know if I made any mistakes. :D Good night everyone!

**Translation for Vulcan: **_Sa-mekh_ - Father

_Sa-fu_ - Son


End file.
